


Oops

by Narlth



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-30
Updated: 2015-09-30
Packaged: 2018-04-24 04:55:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4906318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Narlth/pseuds/Narlth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A magical mishap ends with Arthur six years old.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Oops

Merlin blinked his large blue eyes a few times, disbelieving of what he saw in front of him.

"This isn't right at all."

Stood in front of Merlin, where just a couple for minutes ago had been the tall, handsome king of Camelot, now sat a small boy with sandy blond hair. Both of Merlin's hands flew to his head, fingers tugging at his own hair in distress.

"This is very, very bad..." He allowed his eyes to close for a minute, aside from fixing this he needed to find out whether it was just Arthur's body that had been made younger, or his mind along with it. "Arthur?"

" _Mer_ lin!"

Just his mind then.

"What did you do?" A higher version of the king's voice demanded. Merlin bit his lip, hesitating. Whilst the king knew of his magic now, it had been awhile since he had messed up quite as badly as this. He opened his mouth to offer up some sort of explanation, but got no further.

He had no explanation.

Across from him Arthur was trying vainly to stop his now too large shirt from slipping from his shoulders. The picture he made would have been funny any othertime.

He thought for a few moments, going through the last server all minutes in his mind. The spell he had cast, couldn't turn someone young, no way. Something else had to be at play here.

"I don't know what happened." Merlin was shaking his head even as he spoke, knowing the answer would not satisfy Arthur.

"How can you not know!" The outrage from adult Arthur would have made most people cower, but not Merlin, and especially not when it can from a child of about six.

“It wasn’t anything I did that caused this. I don’t even know how to make someone younger.” Merlin waved his hands in surrender. “I do at least know how to make someone older so I can fix this.”

Arthur gave him a pointed look, or as pointed as it could be in his current state.

“Get on with it then.” He crossed his arms and Merlin dropped his own.

“It’s not that simple, I need a potion as well as an incantation to perform the spell.” Merlin offered weakly, getting a scowl in return. “We’ll have to get back to Gaius’s chambers.”

Both Arthur’s eyebrows lifted at the comment.

“Righttt. I’ll, umm I’ll go first make sure it’s clear, then you can follow?” Merlin offered with a shrug, but when Arthur said nothing in reply he tried again. “I’ll carry you, and hope no one stops us?” Taking the continued silence, but lightening of expression as acceptance.

Merlin easily hoisted Arthur up into his arms, having had lots of practice lugging around the king’s armour. He settle Arthur against his hip, and the king wrapped both arms tightly around Merlin’s neck.

“You all right there?” Merlin asked as he felt Arthur shift within his grip.

“Of course, just get us to Gaius already.”

“Yes, sire!” Merlin mocked, crossing to the door and, and checking that the corridors were clear.

Arthur wasn’t especially heavy, but carried him across half of the castle, whilst having to stop and double back so as to avoid most of the rest of the castle’s occupants, left Merlin’s shoulders uncomfortable. As soon as he cross into Gaius’s chambers and the door had closed behind him he put Arthur down.

Straightening up and rounding his shoulders back to relieve some of the tension, he turned his attention to the room, looking to check that they were indeed alone.

“Merrrrlin, get on with it.” Arthur sounded more like the age he looked dragging the syllables of Merlin’s name out even more then would do normally.

“Give me a moment, you can’t rush these things you know.” Merlin retorted. He searched one of the many shelves in the room, collecting the ingredients he needed to create the aging potion.

It took about an hour for him to find everything then correctly brew the potion, all the time Arthur wondering around the room, trying to touch various things as child-like curiosity overcame his boredom. Merlin was almost constantly having to pause his work and stop Arthur from hurting himself, but finally it was completed.

Merlin heaved himself up from the slouched position he had been in, pouring the potion into a cup ready to be drank. He turned to Arthur and said.

“There is one thing you need to know.”

“What?” Young and bright eyes searched his face, looking for clues on what was to follow.

“Well, it’s just that usually this spell is used to make you really old, as in grey hair, so I don’t know quite how old it will make you starting from a six year old.” Arthur raised an eyebrow at the servant, but nodded and took the glass from him.

“I trust if this goes wrong that you’ll find another way to fix it.” With that said, Arthur threw his head back and downed the potion.

 

 


End file.
